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Tribal Emergency Preparedness & Response to Recent Fires

   By Joshua Arce

PWNA actively engaged in our Tribal Emergency Services pillar over the past month. The cycle of emergency preparedness, response, recovery, and mitigation is ongoing, unrelenting, and sometimes overwhelming. PWNA is actively investing in Tribal communities to ensure they have the tools, resources, and training for disaster response.

Last month, PWNA co-hosted the second annual Regional Tribal Emergency Management Summit in Oacoma, South Dakota.  Topics ranged from search and rescue, MMIW, and response team development to COAD toolkits, FEMA grants, and hazard mitigation plans. More than 60 participants with 14 Tribal affiliations included emergency managers, resource partners, and future professionals in this career field.

Tribal Emergency Management Summit

PWNA’s Response to Recent Fires

While at the summit, a Program Partner from the Mescalero Apache contacted us. Their community was being impacted by the South Fork and Salt fires in Ruidoso New Mexico. PWNA worked with Tribal leaders and sent three truckloads of emergency goods to assist. We were also able to coordinate the rapid purchase and delivery of generators needed to run their critical infrastructure.

On the heels of this news, a partner from San Carlos Apache reached out. The Watch Fire destroyed multiple homes, and the community needed support. Once again, PWNA was able to spin up our resources for delivery to assist their recovery.

Contrasting with the fires in the Southwest, a flood incident in the Northern Plains triggered an emergency declaration from the Governor of South Dakota. While this event was not as catastrophic as past floods,  it impacted some Tribal citizens that we were able to assist.

Rebuilding After a Disaster

Last week, I was fortunate to attend the convening of the Margaret A. Cargill Philanthropies Disaster Recovery and Response grantees in Boulder, Colorado. During this session, we visited a site that was impacted by the Marshall wildfire (Louisville) in 2021 and two that were impacted by the 2013 flood (Lyons and Longmont). It is remarkable to see a community rebuilt. It took many organizations to fund the process, care for the residents, and drive the restoration. Their rebuild took many years to complete, and it wasn’t without exclusions or hardship.

When disaster strikes, rebuilding a community cannot happen fast enough – and I would contend that our Tribal communities have been living in the aftermath of the disaster known as “Federal Indian Policy.” Lack of housing, insufficient infrastructure, and inadequate funding keep reservation communities on the brink of extermination. Stacking a national, environmental, or catastrophic disaster into this scenario drives a wedge even further between our communities and the pursuit of life, liberty, and the Native American dream of strong, safe, and self-sufficient communities.

Fortunately, we have partners who want to see us succeed, are bold with their investment, and support the sovereign vision of Tribal communities. VOAD and National VOAD, Margaret A. Cargill Philanthropies, Center for Disaster Philanthropy, American Red Cross, AT&T, Feeding America, the Great Plains Tribal Leaders Health Board, Mennonite Disaster Services, Legal Services Corporation, Salvation Army, CDC Foundation, Bill Anderson Fund, Headwaters Economics, along with community foundations and food banks, are all strong supporters. By perpetuating better practices, we can join together to help rebuild communities with dignity, excellence, and distinction.